Address and E-mail

Elder Brandon Orr

3487 South 1300 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84106

brandon.orr@myldsmail.net

Monday, April 11, 2011

April 11, 2011

Oh wow! Sorry fam I spoke too soon. I have a few more reasons for why the Utah Salt Lake City Mission is the best, and all the other missions can sit the bench. This was the most faith building week I've had so far on my mission. Great week.

So far on my mission I've just taught people and got them baptized. I haven't had to spritually exert myself to make things happen. They were just golden investigators and they wanted to be baptized. But, with the Standard of Excellence and the goals we have now, we are always praying and exercising our faith so that we'll have the things we need to happen. This week we had Myah get baptized. But in order to hit the Standard for the 5th week, we needed to find someone who was ready for baptism...in just a week. So on Thursday we were feeling terrible. Just ungrateful for everything we had and we really were just being ridiculous. Elder Wiehl was upset with how Wednesday had gone. (Had a baptismal Interview, 3 lessons w/ people, and added someone) I was complaining too, but i told him how if any other mission had that kind of night they would be so excited. So we needed to be grateful for those things. So we doubled our faith and started praying that we'd find someone for baptism.

We knew of a family (Kyle's) That had 4 unbaptized children that were way active. Jessica has her YW medallion already. She's 14 and not a member. Amazing family. But the dad has social anxiety real bad. Really bad. Like 4 months ago I went by their house convinced I would be the missionary to have him get it together. lol It didn't happen. Sister Kyle said that "if we were there for her kids we wouldnt get anywhere just like the other missionaries from the past 6 years" So we gave up until a week ago. We just got lucky and helped them unload some things they were moving and chilled with the fam. No gospel talk. Did that a couple more times, just dropped by and ate some cookies. Had amazing talks with the dad. Really cool guy as long as hes not in crowds. But before we left, Elder Wiehl was impressed and told him that we felt like we could help them get there kids baptized and we wanted to do that. Bro Kyle went straight white. lol We thought we messed up. The next time we saw the fam, we chatted about weather and sports and nothing really for an hour and a half. This was the same Thursday that I had said we needed to double our faith. Before we went in I said the most sincere prayer that he would be okay with baptism. As I walked to the door I felt the Spirit so strong, like in the middle of testimony meeting walking up. I knew it was gonna work out, but nothing happened while we were there. Nothing. I was so confused. But as we walked out. He followed us out the door and said he had thought about what we had said and wanted to baptize his kids before they moved in two weeks. I went nuts. So amazing. All four of them are going down next Saturday. One is 8 so we get 3 of them. We'll have 9 for the transfer. :) And SOE for 5 weeks. So blessed. Just because we hit a trial doesnt mean we moan about it. We double our faith and act. Lord will bless us. So grateful for this miracle. It was amazing.

But that's nothin. This was our stake conference weekend. Bishop Burton (Presiding Bishop) was coming. So I figured I'd shake his hand or something say hi and that'd be it. No big deal or anything. But before adult session we were shaking hands and kissing babies as everyone walked in and he walked by. He shook Wiehls hand and threw his arm around me and told me he loved my tie and for me to call him when i took it to DI (Deseret Industries) so he could pick it up. It was pretty cool. I was laughing so hard. Wiehl and I both had our new ties on and we were fighting about who had the better one. So I'm pretty sure I won. So I thought I had my cool moment with Bishop. But it wasn't over yet. The days before conference i was praying that I'd be able to say something at some point to a leader that would really get the work going. We were having trouble finding new people, and with my last miracle I really wanted to share it and tell people how there were those out there for them to touch. Maybe just tell a bishop or something. BUT after stake Pres Rosenlof spoke he said "Bishop Burton would now like to hear from Elder Orr...and liste two other people." It was awesome! I felt like they had told me a week ago and I had been preparing for it. I wasn't nervous at all. It was SICK (You're welcome :) i guess i say it a lot now.lol) I got to talk to a little over 1000 people about the miracles we had been having and I even got a lil choked up. It was great. So cool. I didn't even think about anything I would say, just shot from the hip. I think it was the best testimony I have ever born.

So once again I thought I had my cool experience with Bishop. lol But after conference I needed to drop off a progress record to the Stake Pres. We walked in the High Council room, told him about the stuff that was going on, and Bishop Burton was in there and invited us to have lunch with them in-between sessions. It was soo cool. Just us, the stake presidency, and Bishop Burton. We just talked about home and how well the work was going. I was so happy. Pres. Rosenlof was talking us up and said how there wasn't any work going on before I had been there. It was kind of unexpected, but very appreciated. President Rosenlof is a lot like Dorpa. Alot. So it was an amazing day and week. So blessed! 9 baptisms in a transfer and 16 for 16 this year as far as baptizing every week. All the Lord baby. I love prayer!